10 Minute Garlic & Tomato Pasta

This quick and easy pasta is a perfect light meal for when you really don’t feel like cooking – it takes just minutes to make and is bursting with flavor!

Similar to my Tomato, Bacon & Asparagus Pasta, this recipe has a simple sauce that is created by combining and cooking down olive oil, garlic and tomatoes. The secret – you add some of the pasta cooking water!

The garlic and olive are heated over a medium-low heat, which causes the garlic to infuse the oil with that amazing garlic flavor, rather than actually “cooking” the garlic, which can leave a bitter taste. Adding some red pepper flakes gives just a little kick of heat.

You can use any small tomato you like, cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes. I happened to pick up some of these gorgeous rustic tomatoes at our local farmer’s market and knew they would be perfect for this pasta. I love when they blister and burst in the pan.

Adding the pasta water adds a little starch to the sauce, so as it reduces down it thickens. What you end up with is this beautiful sauce that coats the pasta and gives it a luscious feel. The recipe below makes two generous servings, but could easily be doubled or even tripled.

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10 Minute Garlic & Tomato Pasta

5 from 2 votes

Kristin Maxwell

This quick and easy pasta is a perfect light meal for when you really don’t feel like cooking – it takes just minutes to make and is bursting with flavor!

Cook Time 10 mins

Total Time 10 mins

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Course Main

Cuisine Italian

Servings 2 servings

Calories 696kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• ▢ 1/2 pound half a box dry spaghetti
• ▢ 1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• ▢ 3 cloves of fresh garlic minced
• ▢ 1/8-1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• ▢ 2 cups grape or cherry tomatoes
• ▢ 1/4 cup parsley roughly chopped
• ▢ Salt & pepper to taste
• ▢ Fresh grated Parmesan cheese for garnish

Instructions

 

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, add the spaghetti and cook, until about three-quarters of the way done.
• Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add the red pepper flakes and garlic and cook for about 2 minutes before adding the tomatoes and a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook until the tomatoes begin to blister, about 2-3 minutes. Add a ladle full of the pasta water and the chopped parsley to the tomatoes.
• When the pasta is three-quarters of the way cooked (it will still have a good bite to it), remove it from the water and add it to the saute pan. The liquid will reduce as the pasta finishes to form a sauce.
• Season with salt and garnish with fresh grated Parmesan cheese.

Notes

Since you are cooking the pasta separately, you can use any shape you’d like.

Nutrition

Calories: 696kcalCarbohydrates: 93gProtein: 17gFat: 29gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 20gSodium: 31mgPotassium: 640mgFiber: 5gSugar: 7gVitamin A: 1398IUVitamin C: 45mgCalcium: 59mgIron: 3mg

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For more quick and easy dinner ideas, try these:

Sloppy Joe French Bread Pizza

Spaghetti Pomodoro with Homemade 15 Minute Meatballs

10 Minute Oven Baked Tostadas